Minnesota students take top honors at National History Day Competition

Minnesota students from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chaska, Roseville and White Bear Lake earned top awards at National History Day Competition in Washington, D.C.

St. Paul, Minn. (June 15, 2017) — Research about Margaret Sanger, Rachel Carson, Norman Borlaug, the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, and spying by the FBI helped five Minnesota entries be selected as medal winners at the 2017 National History Day competition. In addition to the medal-winning entries, Minnesota had seven other national finalist projects.

Minnesota’s top entry was a research paper by Ingrid Mundt from Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School in St. Paul. Ingrid’s paper on Margaret Sanger was recognized as a national champion after two rounds of judging.

Awards were announced today, Thursday, June 15, in a ceremony at the University of Maryland, College Park. A total of 61 Minnesota students from across the state joined more than 3,000 other students from across the nation in the week-long competition.

The students, representing grades six through 12, presented exhibits, papers, documentaries, performances and websites that showed off months of research into topics based on the 2017 National History Day theme: “Taking a Stand in History.”

The top three national finishers in each category earn monetary awards. First place receives $1,000, second place receives $500 and third place receives $250. National History Day also recognizes one outstanding state entry in each division, junior and senior, with a medal.

Grace Kellar-Long, Sam Kellar-Long, Open World Learning Community, St. Paul: 6th Place, Senior Group Performance, “What is a City but the People? Jane Jacobs’ Stand Against the Lower Manhattan Expressway”

National History Day in Minnesota is a co-curricular historical research program that builds college readiness and communication skills for middle and high school students. 27,000 students from over 250 schools participate in Minnesota each year. The program in Minnesota is a partnership of the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts. Program support for is also provided by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. For more information, visit education.mnhs.org/historyday.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.